Chocolate Buckwheat Pancakes

There’s this Simpson’s episode where Bart says to Marge – “Mom, can I have ice cream for breakfast?” and Marge says “Absolutely not! You’re going to have chocolate chip pancakes with maple syrup instead.” I was reminded of that while making these but really, they are pretty good for you. Yes, I liberally splashed maple syrup all over them and yes, M did wonder aloud how they would taste with whipped cream on top. But still, these chocolately cakes are delicious and filled with buckwheat flour, cocoa powder, banana and buttermilk. 

The buckwheat gives the pancakes a lightly toasted, sort of earthy flavor which matches perfectly with the cocoa. The recipe makes quite a few cakes but they keep well in the refrigerator for a few days and freeze nicely. Pop them in the toaster or the microwave to reheat. This morning I ate them with a big dollop of vanilla yogurt, slices of pear and some chopped pecans.

The chocolate flavor isn't very intense despite the deep brown color. Feel free to stir in some chocolate chips. I've done it before and the pockets of melted chocolate made them more suitable for dessert instead of breakfast, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. 

For about 18 pancakes:

• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 very ripe banana, mashed
• 2¼ cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the banana, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and melted butter. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, use a 1/4 cup scoop and pour into the skillet. Flip when there are a few bubbles on the surface. Cook for a minute or two more. Repeat with the remaining batter. Keep the pancakes warm while they are all being cooked. Serve immediately.

Maple Egg Cups

Once, a long time ago, a friend of mine who shall remain anonymous (ok fine it was Guestblogger Alita) and I gained some weight. Kind of a lot actually. We blamed it on winter and the lack of daylight and our hectic workloads - but the fact is there was only one culprit and it's name was the fun-sounding MxGxxxxxx.

There was a MxDxxxxx's that both of us passed by on our way to work and it became a frequent (daily) occurrence to swing by the drive-thru, eat it furtively in the car, and be on our way. Now, if you have never had such a thing and believe me, I know it's a touch horrific to admit that you have, I'll explain it to you. A scrambled egg, cheese and your choice of bacon or sausage is sandwiched between two pancakes that had these delicious pockets of maple syrup in them.

I pride myself on cooking healthy, mostly organic, often vegetarian, locally-sourced meals at home the majority of the time. You can imagine what a dirty little secret this was. To this day when either of us has gained any sort of weight we qualify it by saying things like - "I mean, I'm not MxGxxxxxxx weight or anything."

This brings me to the cute egg cups pictured above which are reminiscent of the sweet+salty+savory goodness of yesteryear. Whole wheat toast is brushed with a butter/maple syrup glaze and filled with a thin slice of prosciutto. An egg bakes in the center and they are so tasty. Perfect for a brunch-style gathering, the prep is minimal and they can bake while mimosas are being sipped. And, you don't have to eat them in secret.

For 6 cups:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 6 slices whole wheat bread, crusts cut off
• 3 thin slices prosciutto, cut in half
• 6 eggs
• Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 350f (180c). Melt the butter with the maple syrup. Brush the inside of 6 cups of a standard muffin pan with the melted maple butter. With the palm of your hand, flatten the bread. Brush both sides of each slice with the maple butter and tuck into the muffin cup. Press the prosciutto into each one. If there's any maple butter leftover, drizzle it evenly over the prosciutto. Carefully crack an egg into each cup and grind black pepper over the top.

Place in the center of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Check the doneness of the egg and continue baking if you'd like the yolk more set. The baking times will vary depending on personal yolk preference. 

Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Buttermilk Walnut Muffins

I woke up Sunday morning early, feeling full of energy. I peeked in the fridge and was confronted with odds and ends and leftovers and condiments stuffed into it. The pantry was no better so I declared that there would be no more grocery shopping until we ate everything already in the house.

The day before we had hosted a leisurely afternoon lunch with friends and I had made Heidi's very delicious Buttermilk Farro Salad. The salad itself was fantastic - plump grains and crisp shaved vegetables soaked up the tangy dressing nicely. Since I had half container of buttermilk left over, I set to work on these muffins.

Buttermilk in baked goods is like a magical ingredient, infusing the dough with moisture and a nice cakey texture. I stirred in finely chopped walnuts and leftover candied mixed peel I'd used around Christmas in these Pistachio Cookies. The muffins were sweetened with just a touch of honey but the cardamom sugar topping added a second layer of sweetness. To really let these muffins shine, serve them warm, straight from the oven with some additional honey and softened butter.

For 12 muffins:

• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup finely chopped candied mixed peel or 1 tablespoon finely grated citrus zest
• 1 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup honey

Heat the oven to 400f (200c). In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cardamom, set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir the walnuts and citrus peel into the flour mixture. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, butter, and honey. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just moistened. The batter will be thick and lumpy.

Grease a muffin pan. Spoon the batter evenly into each cup. Sprinkle with the cardamom sugar and bake in the center of the oven until puffed and golden, about 15-18 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Serve warm with butter and honey.

Prawn & Potato Pie

Happy New Year everyone!

Normally I like to be able to say - "don't be alarmed by the long list of ingredients" or something along those lines but that sentiment does not apply here. This is fussy to make, there's no getting around it. But look! Cubes of potatoes are combined with sweet, chopped prawns, creamy leeks, mellow gruyere and laced through with fresh dill.

If you’re feeling chipper one morning, the radio is on, and you’ve got a mimosa at the ready then making this pie isn’t really a burden at all. Paired with some sparkling and fresh fruit this made for a delicious brunch. I can also see it served for dinner alongside a lettuce salad dressed with mustard vinaigrette. I love brunch, perhaps because brunch often involves morning cocktails, and am eager to encounter the next great strata or coffee cake or quiche recipe. This pie flirts with being a quiche but doesn't contain enough eggs for such a classification in my book.

This dish is based on an old Cooking Light recipe but I’ve changed it so much that it barely resembles the original. I liked the idea though: a prawn (or shrimp) pie filling in an easy pat-in-the-pan crust. I make my crust with half quinoa flour and really enjoy the subtle nutty note it imparts. That, plus the touch of cornmeal, makes for a sturdy crust.

Leftovers reheated nicely the next day.

For the crust:

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup quinoa flour
• 2 tablespoons coarse cornmeal
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• ¼ cup ice water
• ½ teaspoon white vinegar

Whisk together the flours, cornmeal, and salt. With a pastry blender, work in the butter until pea-sized crumbs form. Stir in the ice water and vinegar. The dough will be crumbly. 

Spray a pie plate with cooking spray. Pour in the crust and press it evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Bake for 5 minutes at 375f (190c). Set aside on a cooling rack while the filling is being prepared. Leave the oven on.

For the filling:

• 4 small fingerling or other yellow-fleshed potato
• 2 eggs
• 2 ounces (50 grams) cream cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons flour
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 9 ounces (.25 kg) uncooked prawns, tails removed and coarsely chopped
• ½ cup grated gruyere
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 large leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

Cook 4 small yellow potatoes in boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and set aside. When cool enough to handle, cut into cubes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and cream cheese with a mixer until blended. On low speed, beat in the flour, mustard and evaporated milk. Stir in the prawns, gruyere, dill, salt, and reserved potatoes.

In a nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until just soft, about 10 minutes. Stir the leeks into the filling.

Pour the filling onto the crust, evenly distributing the ingredients. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 40 minutes so that the filling is set and the top is golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Passionfruit Crêpes

I had never had a passionfruit in my life until I watched one of Nigella's cooking shows years ago in which she spoke rapturously about the odd, wrinkled-looking fruit. She was making a Passionfruit Pavlova and I was determined to impress my friends with this billowy dessert the next time I had a dinner party. When I headed to the grocery store to buy the passionfruits I was astounded - I realized I would be spending $18 on 6 of them. I hesitated, almost not able to do it, but in the end the passionfruit intrigue won out and I served the pavlova to rave reviews.

To me, passionfuits are all about the perfume. They give off such a tropical, alluring scent that there is no mistaking them for anything common. When I was at the market here in Australia the other day, I stopped at stared at a heaping pile of passionfruits with a sign advertising "Passionfruits: $2.99 a bag". This bag contained 7 of them which almost caused me to jump for joy if I were a little more crazy. I'm in passionfruit country which is just splendid!

I originally wanted to make some sort of a passionfruit shortbread until it dawned on me that I don't have a mixer (how does one cream butter without one?). So, I settled on crêpes instead. I've always been a pretty good crêpe-maker because it doesn't faze me that the first crêpe is inevitably not going to turn out that great. I suspect it has to do with the heat of the pan or getting into a groove of swirling the batter or something. Regardless, I set aside the ugly one for myself, forge onward and it all turns out fine.

For 6 crêpes:

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted + a bit more for greasing the pan
• 6 ripe passionfruits

Cut the passionfruits in half and scoop out the pulp into a small bowl. Stir the pulp together and taste it - if it seems a bit too tart, stir in a small amount of sugar or honey to taste. Set aside.

In a bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar. In another bowl whisk together the milk, egg, orange zest, vanilla and the melted butter. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and whisk thoroughly until the batter is smooth.

Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Lightly grease it with butter. Quickly pour a 1/4 cup of batter into the center of the pan and then immediately swirl the batter around in a circular fashion. Allow the crêpe to cook until just set, about 30 seconds, and then flip it and cook for 30-45 seconds more. Place on a plate and keep warm.

Repeat with the remaining batter, adding a bit more butter as you go to the pan if needed. When all the crêpes are cooked, fold into triangles. Arrange two crêpes on a plate and spoon the passionfruit pulp on and around them. Dust with confectioner's sugar if desired and serve immediately.

Toasted Super Muesli

One of the best things about being food obsessed is that I get to occasionally seem smart and knowledgeable without really trying. M, for example, was bemoaning the fact that Australia doesn't have traditional American-style cocktail sauce at the grocery store and showed me this bottle of "seafood cocktail sauce" which was an alarming bright peach-colored mayonnaise. I said, "well, just make your own." He looked at me quizzically and I shrugged and said "just stir together ketchup and horseradish. That's all it is."

This little moment reminded me that I generally am of the belief that most everything is better when it's homemade and that most storebought items are a rip-off. Take muesli or granola for example. It seems to me that any sort of good quality store-bought cereal is pretty pricey. I get that they are filled with all sorts of healthy goodness but still...we're mainly dealing with grains here.

Any well-stocked bulk foods section of a grocery store will have what you need to create a fantastic, customized muesli and I stocked up on all sorts of great ingredients. I spent little money and the ingredients I bought were almost all organic. I'm calling my version "Super" because of the addition of dried goji berries (which are touted all over the place as being a superfood) and because the muesli turned out really, really good. The psyllium gives it an extra fiber kick too.

Because this muesli is toasted for extra flavor and not baked like granola, the effort that goes into making it is minimal. I think I have the proportion of grains/crunch/sweetness down but there's plenty of room to swap ingredients.

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup flaked almonds
• 1/2 cup raw pepitas
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 3 cups puffed barley
• 1/4 cup psyllium husks
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 3/4 cup crushed banana chips
• 1/3 cup goji berries
• 1-2 tablespoons packed brown sugar (optional)
• 1½ teaspoons cinnamon

In a large pot over medium heat, combine the oats, almonds, pepitas, sunflower and sesame seeds. Stir frequently until the mixture is lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from the heat and set aside until cool.

In a large bowl, stir together the puffed barley, psyllium, dates, banana chips and goji berries. Stir in the oats mixture and combine well. Sprinkle the muesli with the brown sugar (if using) and the cinnamon. Stir gently but thoroughly.

Store the muesli in an airtight container.

Sour Cream Cornmeal Pancakes with Blueberry Rhubarb Compote

This recipe started with the compote...the pancakes were just a delicious vehicle for getting the fruity goodness into my mouth. I have made all sorts of rhubarb + berry combinations but am certain I have never merged the blueberry rhubarb worlds. Now that I have I really don't know what was stopping me before. The blueberry's rich, sweet flavor is enhanced by the ruby tartness of the rhubarb and when the fruits are splashed with maple syrup and cooked together, well, it's just good.

I love the crunch of cornmeal in my pancakes. I buy the coarse, stone ground variety which I think has the best texture. Whisked together with some whole wheat pastry flour and rich sour cream, you really can't go wrong. These pancakes are good keepers and reheat nicely the next day.

I made these in a breakfast-for-dinner capacity and then had the leftovers the next morning. There's something satisfying about forgoing the standard protein+veg dinner and instead diving into a stack of cakes with warm, summery fruit and a tall glass of milk.

For Compote:

• 2 cups rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
• 1/3-1/2 cup maple syrup (depending on the desired level of sweetness)
• 1 pint blueberries

Combine the rhubarb, water, ginger and 1/3 cup of the syrup in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to simmer and reduce the heat to medium. Allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes until the rhubarb has softened. Add the blueberries and cook for 10-15 minutes more until the compote has thickened and the blueberries have released their juices. Taste and add additional syrup if needed. Serve warm over the pancakes or store, covered in the refrigerator for a week.

For Pancakes:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup coarse ground cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted + more for cooking the pancakes

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, egg, vanilla and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and fold together with a spatula until just combined.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the skillet with butter. Add 1/3 cupfuls of batter to the skillet and cook, until there are bubbles on the surface and the underside is golden. Flip carefully and cook for an additional minute or two. Keep the pancakes warm as the rest are being cooked. Serve with the warm compote.

Soufflé Omelet with Spring Vegetables & Crab

A couple years ago I was introduced to the concept of a baked or souffle omelet through Mark Bittman's book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. His version is a sweet one which I posted here back in 2009. It remains a favorite of mine and a recipe I go back to often.

I decided to revisit the concept behind the baked omelet but instead made it savory by incorporating seasonal vegetables, herbs, and crab. It turned out perfectly although not as fluffy as the original since I had so many ingredients weighing it down. However, it is still so very airy and light due to separating the eggs and whipping the whites.

The small addition of lemon zest brightens the dish and complements the sweetness of the crab meat and delicate flavors of the spinach and peas. I used dill in this version but suspect chervil and/or tarragon would also be quite nice.

Although this seems like a quintessential breakfast or brunch dish, I envision myself making this again and serving it with a green salad for lunch or a light dinner.

For 4 servings:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1½ tablespoons minced shallot
• 2 cups packed spinach leaves (sliced if large)
• ½ cup peas
• 1 can crab
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup finely grated gruyere
• 2 tablespoon fresh dill, chervil or tarragon or a combination
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 pinch sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 5 egg whites

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat in a 10-inch oven proof skillet. Add the shallots and sauté for a couple minutes until soft. Add the spinach and stir until just wilted, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer the shallot spinach mixture to a bowl. Add the peas, crab, milk, gruyere, herbs, flour and sugar. Stir in the 4 egg yolks. Season generously with salt and pepper and set aside.

With a mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold in the spinach mixture until the ingredients are distributed uniformly throughout the egg whites.

Heat the additional 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in the same skillet used to cook the shallots. Pour in the omelet mixture, smooth the top with a spatula, and let cook for 2 minutes, undisturbed. Place the skillet in the center of the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Invert onto a plate and serve.

Crunchy Fig Granola

Way back in December, I was intrigued by a post on Jeannette's great blog, Everybody Loves Sandwiches, where she detailed the secret to making granola that actually clumps up. I've made granola a few times and although the ingredients are good, the flavor itself is good, the clusters were never present. I tried out her recipe, tweaking the ingredients and making a larger batch, and am pleased to report that the magical clusters are there. Yay!

I already know how some of you are, and I know that you like to reduce sugar in recipes which is fine by me. But, the key to the clumps IS the sugar so make this recipe just as it is and then eat some celery and go for a run later or something.

I changed up the recipe using ingredients I had on hand. Every time I opened up my pantry this container of figs would stare at me so they were definitely going in the mix. The figs were joined by a crunchy wholesome mix of almonds, coconuts, pepitas and flax seeds. I used thick-cut rolled oats which add great texture but I am sure regular rolled oats would work just fine too.

For about 5 cups of granola:

• 3 cups organic thick-cut rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1 cup dried figs, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut
• 2/3 cup raw pepitas
• 2 tablespoons flax seeds
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves. Add in the figs, almonds, coconut, pepitas and flax seeds. Stir again until well-combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and with a spatula, gently toss until everything is evenly coated. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Evenly spread out the granola onto the baking sheet and place in the center of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, gently stirring the granola every 10 minutes, until it is golden and fragrant.

Remove from the oven and set aside until cool. It's tempting to mess with it at this point because it smells so delicious but don't. As it cools it is clumping together and clumps are the best part. Be patient. Once it's cool, break it into clumps and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Adapted from "Better Than From a Bakery Granola" on Everybody Loves Sandwiches

Baked Eggs with Mashed Potatoes & Leeks

There were a couple times when I was a kid that my brother Sean and I slept over at my grandparent's house. My Papa was a pretty no-nonsense type of guy who didn't talk much but was captivating in his own way. He would stump me with questions like, "what's the price of the rice in China?" and would take me to Baskin Robbins, with one nod letting us get two scoops(!) of ice cream on our cones.

One day Sean and I were obediently sitting in the kitchen watching as Papa fixed us breakfast. He started scrambling some eggs, making toast and everything was going along fine until he took out some leftover mashed potatoes and with two big PLOPS, spooned them right into the pan with our eggs and mixed it all together. We shot eachother a concerned glance but didn't dare question his wisdom, especially since this was the house where bologna was fried and pig's feet were consumed. To our delight, the potatoeggs were delicious...a taste sensation! These baked eggs are my homage to that breakfast so many years ago.

Baking is my favorite way to prepare eggs and a perfect brunch dish when guests are arriving as they go right in the oven without much fuss at all. I love the creamy leeks at the bottom and the faintest bit of cream on top enhances the silky smooth texture of the egg and potato. Anytime there are mashed potatoes left over, I encourage you to give this dish a shot.

For 2 servings:

• 1 leek, white and light green parts thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup mashed potatoes
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons heavy cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter two 4-ounce ramekins and set aside.

In a small skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks, season lightly with salt and pepper and saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Divide the leeks between the ramekins. Spoon a 1/3 cup of mashed potatoes over the leeks in each ramekin and smooth the top. Crack an egg into each ramekin. Drizzle a teaspoon of cream over each egg and sprinkle with pepper.

Place the ramekins into a glass baking dish. Pour hot water into the dish until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the dish tightly with foil and place in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the eggs have reached the desired consistency. Remove from the water, place on a plate and serve with toast for dipping.

Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake

Much like Guestblogger Alita, I can't get enough cranberries this time of year. I love cake for breakfast so there is no question that I will be trying this recipe out soon. Thanks to Alita for the perfect holiday brunch recipe! --A Crafty Lass

I love that it is cranberry season - I can’t stop myself from buying fresh cranberries every time I go to the store this time of year. But, it always surprises me how quickly they disappear from the produce section after the holidays, so I usually freeze a few bags and use them well into the new year.

I love the cranberry's bright red tartness and the way they kind of melt when baked. Their nutrient content and antioxidant qualities aren’t bad either! Cranberries are a “superfood” and any time I can incorporate healthy ingredients into my desserts, I consider it a small victory.

Over the years, I have developed several cranberry baked goods into my repertoire. Family favorites include a simple but delicious Cranberry Orange Scone & a brilliantly red Cranberry Upside Down Cake. This particular recipe is well on its way to being a new favorite. It's suitable as a morning cake and pairs well with a hot cup of coffee or tea. It will likely grace our table for Christmas morning brunch.

The Bottom:

• 3 cups fresh cranberries
• ¾ - 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon orange zest

The Cake:

• ½ cup butter, softened
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1¼ cup all purpose flour
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

The Topping:

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• ½ tsp ginger
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup oats
• 2 tablespoons cold butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the cranberries: Toss the cranberries with ¾ cup sugar (a little more if you want a sweeter version), cinnamon & orange zest and pour into a greased 9-in square pan.

Prepare the cake: cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, milk, extract & orange zest and mix well. In a small bowl, combine the flours, baking powder & salt and add to the butter mixture. Drop the batter by spoonfuls over the cranberries & carefully spread to cover the entire surface.

Prepare the topping: combine the sugars with the ginger, cinnamon and oats and cut in the butter until it become crumbly. Sprinkle the oat mixture over the cake and bake for 40-50 minutes.

Crispy Overnight Waffles

Before I was invited over to Guestblogger Eric's house for brunch, I was completely unaware how delicious a waffle could be. The crisp outer texture was in contrast to the almost melting interior and I knew that I would be ruined for any other waffle from that moment forward. Thanks to Eric for this great post and for sharing this recipe with all of us! --A Crafty Lass

For his birthday, ten years ago, I got my partner a waffle iron. He is an expert pancake maker, and regularly makes me fluffy buttermilk pancakes. Since I didn’t want this to turn into a gift that was really for me, I told him that I would be the one in charge of the waffles in our life.

I experimented with many different recipes, finally settling upon a variation from Julee Rosso’s & Sheila Lukins’s “The New Basics.” Their recipe yields a classic buttermilk waffle, which is golden and tangy, and has a touch of whole-wheat flour—a great foil for maple syrup. We ate these, very happily, for years.

But our waffle lives changed forever when I tried Mark Bittman’s recipe for yeasted overnight waffles in “How to Cook Everything.” These waffles were a revelation: incredibly crispy and feather light. The only downside was that they felt too much like dessert to me because they called for vanilla, white sugar and white flour.

My current recipe is a hybrid of the two recipes, which makes them light and crispy but still retains some of the earthiness. When autumn arrives I look forward to getting the waffle iron out and making more birthday presents for my man. (And me. Let’s be honest, it was a present for both of us.)

For 5 or 6 waffles:

• ½ teaspoon instant yeast
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup wheat flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 cups milk
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• Canola, or other neutral oil for brushing on waffle iron
• 2 eggs

Before going to bed, combine the dry ingredients and stir in the milk, then the butter. The mixture will be loose. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in your oven with the oven light on.

In the morning, brush the waffle iron lightly with oil and preheat it. Separate the eggs and stir the yolks into the batter. Beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Stir them gently into the batter. Do not overmix. It’s okay if there are clouds of whites that are not integrated into the mixture.

Spread a ladleful or so of batter onto the waffle iron and bake until done. It’s best if you serve them immediately, but if you can’t do that, they’ll keep in the oven for a few minutes.

Serve with maple syrup. And for heaven’s sake, make sure the syrup is hot.

Blueberry Corncakes

Aren't we all trying to eat more whole grains...even if the end result is coated in maple syrup, butter, and served with a side of bacon or sausage? These pancakes fit the bill, made with whole grain cornmeal which is decidedly different than the typical soft-as-sand stuff that is the kitchen standard.

Real, coarse cornmeal and I have become friends lately. I love the chewiness it imparts, and the golden flecks that appear in all baked goods are evidence of it's whole grain goodness. I used Bob's Red Mill coarse grind cornmeal for this recipe, and in fact, got the inspiration for these pancakes right from the package. My favorite frozen blueberries from Trader Joe's add another dimension of superfoodiness to these cakes and I've decided that whole grains+blueberries somehow cancel out any negative effects of bacon....? I know, it's a complicated math equation that you may not be able to grasp.

For four servings:

• 1 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup coarse grind cornmeal
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sifted White Whole Wheat Flour from King Arthur Flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries, (I used Wild Boreal Blueberries, unthawed, from Trader Joe's)

Heat oven to 180 degrees. Pour boiling water over cornmeal in a large bowl and set aside for 15 minutes. Whisk in the buttermilk and eggs. Sift the flour, cardamom, baking powder, salt and baking soda over the bowl and stir until mixture is just combined. Melt the butter and stir into the batter. Mix in the blueberries.

Heat a nonstick pan or griddle over medium high heat. Now, here's where I went wrong with the first couple cakes. This batter is definitely delicate so the pancakes must be made smaller, no more than 4-5 inches in diamater or it will be quite tough flipping them. And, make sure that they are fully cooked on the inital side before flipping otherwise the result is a sloppy, broken mess of a cake.

Keep the pancakes warm in the oven as they are finished. I had leftover cakes and found that they were almost equally good the next day, quickly warmed in the microwave.

Sweet Soufflé Omelet

It’s troubling when the people we love turn out to have a fault that wasn’t exactly anticipated. For example, I served this omelet at a brunch and my dear friend Scott confided that it tasted like eggy bile. Really, I could only feel sympathy for him, not anger, because this omelet is pure ethereal goodness.

This isn’t really an omelet at all in the traditional sense as it is not filled or rolled. Rather, the eggs are separated, the whites whipped to an airy fluff, while the yolks are combined with a touch of flour, milk and sugar. The bottom of the pan has a melted marmalade/butter combination that almost turns to a caramel when it's done baking.

Some nights, when The Chef is working, I cut this recipe in half, bake it in a small cast iron pan and have a very special dinner for one.

For 2-3 servings:

• 4 eggs, separated


• 1/2 cup milk


• 1 tablespoon flour


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 2 tablespoons sugar


• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter


• 1/4 cup orange marmalade


• Powdered sugar

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a mixer, add the egg whites and beat until just stiff. In another bowl, whisk together the yolks, milk, flour, salt and sugar. Fold the whites into the yolk mixture.

Set a 9-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the butter and marmalade, stirring frequently until the mixture is combined and melted. Pour in the egg batter, evenly distributing it in the pan and smoothing the top. Let it cook for a couple minutes, without disturbing it.

Put the skillet in the oven and bake until it is golden and quite puffed, about 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately dusted with a bit of powdered sugar.

Adapted from a recipe in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

Homemade Yogurt

Why make your own yogurt? Well, it's quite easy, you control what goes in it, it's cost effective, and you get to feel superior to everyone around you who lives a sad, store-bought yogurt existence. Besides, this yogurt has a very clean, fresh taste that I enjoy. The other day I canned some Clementine Marmalade that totally went awry and didn't gel properly so it was really more syrup than anything but I immediately knew that a spoonful of it would be quite pleasant in my yogurt. I often stir in marmalade, cranberry sauce, any jam, fresh fruit and/or granola.

One thing to note: it doesn't get super thick and has more of a soft set finish. I don't mind this at all but I imagine some people would. As an additional step, you could spoon the chilled yogurt over a cheesecloth lined strainer and let it drain over a bowl in the refrigerator to make sort of a Greek-style thicker yogurt.

Making yogurt is really just a matter of heating, whisking, pouring and waiting. All you need is milk, yogurt starter that you can procure from your local health food store or co-op, and a yogurt maker to incubate it, like this one which is a newer model than the one I have.

First, heat a quart of milk until it is just about to boil. Take off the heat, pop a thermometer in it and allow it to come back down to 108 degrees which is warmish room temperature. This will take a while so don't wait around. Pour a small amount of the milk into a bowl (about a 1/4 cup) and empty the contents of the yogurt starter into it. Whisk hard, you don't want any clumps. Pour this mixture back into the milk and whisk well again.

Second, pour into the glass jars and place into the yogurt maker. Set for about 8 hours and resist the temptation to lift the top, jiggle the yogurt maker, etc. It can't become yogurt if one keeps messing with it.

Lastly, put the top on each jar and refrigerate which then stops the incubation process. Done!